Knife sharpener



Oct. 24, 1950 J, MAY 2,527,021

KNIFE SHARPENER Filed Aug. 1, 1947 FIG.4.

INVENTOR.

JOHN MAY Patented Oct. 24, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT. oFncE KNIFE SHARPENER J 01111 y, Detroit, Mich. Application August 1, 1947; saa1sa.v65,4g9@

This invention relates to knife sharpeners and particularl knifesharpeners suited to be manually held in use and employing renewable abrasive sheets.

An object of the invention is to provide a knife sharpener comprising an abrasive strip of flexible sheet material, mounting plates for such strip,

and a; handle member .having an end portion removably inserted between said plates and clamping end portions of the strip against the inner faces of the plates.

Another object is to provide spring connections between said plates, urging them yieldably toward each other to apply clamping pressure to the strip extremities.

Another object is to utilize said spring connections to serve as stops resisting lateral shifting of the handle member from its normal position between the paired plates.

These and various other objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved knife sharpener.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the tool with its handle member removed.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the spring connectors used in the device.

In these views the reference character I designates a pair of duplicate spaced elongated plates,

formed preferably of wood and having their end faces rounded, substantially semi-cylindrically. Said plates are held in an opposed spaced substantially parallel relation by four spring connectors 2, formed preferabl of wire and bridged across the longitudinal edges of the plates at their end portions. As best appears in Fig. 4, said connectors each has its ends 2a bent at right angles for insertion in edge faces of the plates and has its mid portion 21) looped to exercise a spring function. Attachment of these connectors to the plates may be easily and inexpensively effected by merely pressing or otherwise driving the bent ends into the edge faces. The tendency of these connectors is to bias the plates I to a slightly less spaced relation than they occupy in use.

A strip 3 of emery cloth or other abrasive sheet material is cut to substantially the Width of the plates I and is continuously extended across the front ends of the plates and along their outer lateral faces, the end portions of said strip being folded around the rear-ends of the plates and projecting a. short distance between the plates, as indicated at 3a. Inserted between the plates 6 Claims. (01. 51 187 f v all) I from their rear ends a third plate 4. substan-';

tially equal in length "and width to the plates. I"

and imposing a"moderate stress on the spring connectors 2. Due to such stress the end portions 3a of. the abrasive strip are clamped firmly 'be-"' tween the inserted plat and the plates I and also saidst'ri'p is stretched; tightly against the plates I so'as to present a perfectly smooth surface to" a knife (not shown) or other instrument to be;

sharpened. Aj ha'ndle 5 isvformed integral with and rearwardly projectsfrom the plate 4, serving to manipulatefsuch plate and also as a handlefor the complete device, as assembled.

When the abrasive faces of the strip 3 become unduly worn the plate 4 may be readily Withdrawn, permitting substitution of a new strip for the worn one. Also the described provision for ready release of the strip 3 permits selective employment of fine or coarse types of emery cloth to suit any intended use of the implement.

It is to be noted that the connectors 2 are so bridged across the edges of the plate 4 as to prevent either sliding or pivotal lateral movement of such plate. This is of importance, since the clamping pressure applied to the plate 4 is primarily effective on its rear end portion, through inturned portions of the strip 3, it being hence desirable to prevent lateral swinging of the plate 4 about its rear end portion.

For abrading small objects or objects not readily accessible that portion of the strip 4 which is spanned across the front ends of the plates I and 4 may be conveniently used. While the described implement is of simple and inexpensive construction, it fully serves its purpose of renewably mounting an abrasive strip so as to expose for use two elongated parallel areas of the strip and also a short connecting area.

What I claim is:

1. An abrasive implement comprising a pair of substantially parallel spaced plates, an abrasive sheet extending across corresponding edges of said plates and on their outer faces, and having end portions extending across edges remote from plates, a third plate removably inserted between said spaced plates and clamping said end portions of the abrasive sheet against the spaced plates, a handle projecting from said third plate, providing for insertion and removal of the third plate and forming a support for the implement, and a plurality of spring connections between said spaced plates,yieldably maintaining their clamping coaction with said third plate.

2. An abrasive implement comprising a pair I said corresponding edges and inserted between the.

3 of substantially parallel spaced plates, an abrasive sheet extending across corresponding edges of said plates and on their outer faces and having end portions extending across edges remote from said corresponding edges and inserted between the plates, a third plate removably inserted between the spaced plates, clamping said end portions of the abrasive sheet against the spaced plates, and spring connections between the spaced plates at opposite edges thereof, stressing the spaced plates toward each other for clamping coaction with the third plate, said connections being bridged across opposed edges of the third plate and thereby resisting lateral shifting of.

the third plate.

3. In an abrasive implement as set forth. in

claim 2, a handle forming an integral extension of said third plate.

4. An abrasive implement as set .forth irrclaim 2, each of said spring connections having end portions respectively driven into edge. faces. of.

6. An abrasive implement comprisin a pair of substantially parallel spaced plates, a third plate removably inserted between said spaced plates and having an end substantially flush with corresponding ends of the spaced plates, a handle rigidly projecting from the third plate at its end opposite to said flush end, an abrasive sheet engaging the outer faces of said spaced plates and having a portion extending across and seated on said flush ends oi the three plates, and having end portions inserted between the spaced plates and the handle-carrying end portion of the third plate, and a plurality of spring connections betweenthe spaced plates, effecting clamping of said inserted end portions between such plates and'ithe third plate.

JOHN MAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,189,980 Forshlade Feb. 13, 1940 2,376,477 Craven May 22, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 200,783 Great Britain July 12, 1923 201,977 Gre'atB'ritain -Aug. 13', 1923 

